How To Set Up Your Office For Success

Having a great business plan and excellent staff is a good recipe for a successful business, however, don’t forget one important ingredient – the working environment. Your company’s work environment will have a direct impact on your business success. The office – including layout, furniture, and décor, will shape your office culture and determine the […]

Having a great business plan and excellent staff is a good recipe for a successful business, however, don’t forget one important ingredient – the working environment.

Your company’s work environment will have a direct impact on your business success.

The office – including layout, furniture, and décor, will shape your office culture and determine the attitude, and satisfaction levels of your staff. Which will, in turn, determine their mood, attitude, and productivity levels.

So, to turn your office space into a productivity hub, here are a few things to consider.

Space

It is of the utmost importance that you set up an office for the company you want, and not the company you have. This means planning for expansion. If you set up an office with no room or plan for expansion you may run into difficulties when the company expands and you need to seat more people in the office.

Obviously, the space you have/ the space that you can afford will determine the office set up. Where possible try to get the space you will need in the future to avoid moving, chopping, and changing.

Layout

This is where you decide how to use the space that you have. There are two main options – open office plan, or individual offices. Which will work for you will depend on the type of company that you have and your company culture.

For a more creative company an open plan office often works best as it allows for free flow of ideas, quick communication, and teamwork. For a more serious style where quiet and concentration trumps creative flow separate offices may be preferable. Consider what office layout you need for your company carefully as it will play a role in productivity.

It is advisable to also add areas for quite working if you choose an open-plan office, as well as areas for brainstorming and group work (this should be a relaxed environment with couches, bean bags, and whiteboards), and a boardroom for meetings (more formal environment).

Your office layout will also affect your furniture and décor choices.

Furniture and décor

You may have decided on the layout of your office, and decided that you want an open plan office, but now you need to decide what to put into that space.

Will you have a worktop that runs along the length, or walls, of your office that is shared by everyone or separate desks, or cubicles? Once again, it will depend on the type of company you are running. If you are unsure try speaking to others in similar industries and find out what office layout style and work environment works for them.

A popular option in creative environments, due to the fact that it is budget friendly, is a FORMICA worktop that runs along a length and is shared by staff who sit alongside each other (much like a bar counter). You will find that the majority of office furniture is made from FORMICA or Melawood, which is a laminate board. This laminate board is popular because it is durable, low-maintenance, budget-friendly, and holds its quality look for years.

Tip: Don’t forget that open-plan offices can get crowded and cluttered so be sure to add “storage space” such as bookshelves and cupboards or desk drawers.

Melawood and Formica are highly recommended for office furniture, because:

Melawood

Melawood is a decorative MFB – this is a BisonBord or SupaWood covered in one of four available surface finishes. Melawood is popular for use in kitchens, built-in cupboards, office and home furniture, and case-goods. This product is moisture and scratch resistant making it durable and low maintenance.

Formica

Often used in counter-tops and work-tops, such as office desks, Formica is a multipurpose surfacing material that can be used in both horizontal and vertical applications. Formica is remarkably durable – it is heat, moisture, stain, and scuff resistant. This gives Formica an edge on other surfacing products as it is such a reliable, low-maintenance, and easy-to-clean product for high-usage areas.